Using AHP to determine intangible priority factors for technology transfer adoption

► This research investigates the important intangible priority factors for the transfer of technology. ► First, the selection of priority factors of emerging technology (ET) and technology transfer adoption (TTA) by means of AHP. ► Second, the examination of the correlation between the measures of ET and TTA dimension. ► Lastly, the evaluation of TTA factors based on the measures of bargaining power dimensions. Technology has characteristics of inducing changes under competitive environment due to its dynamic property of being modified and accelerated over time. In order to improve profitability, the evaluation of technology transfer adoption (TTA) is very important for determining the weights of TTA factors, the influence of the organizational factors (i.e., the measures of TTA dimension) such as chief executive officer (CEO)’ mind and capacity, commercialization, and technology licensing office (TLO)’s competence on the profitability of emerging technologies (ET), and the size of these organizational factors in suppler and buyer. This research investigates the important intangible priority factors for the transfer of technology through analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method and correlation analysis. The study is based on three phases: (1) Phase 1: selection of TTA factors and the measures of ET, TTA, and bargaining power (BP) dimension; (2) Phase 2: correlation analysis between the measures of ET and TTA dimension (evaluation of TTA dimension based on the measures of ET); (3) Phase 3: evaluation of TTA dimension based on the measures of BP dimension. The quantitative weights of criteria, TTA factors and sub-factors are provided and they indicate the order of priority and the degree of importance for TTA. The results are interpreted in terms of the ET and BP dimensions of measures that need to be considered in order to provide assistance at the time of decision-making on adoption of technology transfer by companies.